This is a collaborative post
If you want to save money on your household bills sometimes you need to spend a little money first. Here are some easy home improvements you can make to help you to save money and ensure that you are saving money on your bills for years to come too.
Home improvements to save money in the long run
Replace your boiler – an old boiler is generally much more expensive to run and keep maintained than a newer one. The outlay of the new boiler will be high but in time it will pay for itself with the savings that it makes for you. There are often schemes for people on benefits or low incomes so it is worth checking these out.
Carpets or rugs instead of wooden flooring – If you can add a rug over wooden flooring you will lose less heat through the floor and feel warmer without actually spending any more on the heating!
Put foil or similar behind radiators – So much heat is lost behind radiators through the walls that if you add some foil or a special reflective sheet behind the radiator you will notice the difference in heat in the room quite quickly. This saves money as you are heating your room not the walls!
Consider door curtains – do you have doors that are draughty and only used a few times a day? By using a door curtain you could save yourself losing heat that way for a few pounds!
Check your windows are all sealed and work well. Replacement windows can save you so much money on your heating and keep your house warmer as they keep more heat in and avoid those pesky drafts.
Consider shorter curtains – Do you have long curtains that cover your radiators? If so then essentially you are sending the heat to the window rather than the room. Buying new curtains or getting them altered can make a huge difference.
Move around your rooms – Do not put big pieces of furniture blocking the heat from radiators if you can avoid it and position sofas away from draughts. If your room is generally warm but you sit in a draught you will often put the heating on unnecessarily!
Consider draught excluders for your doors – you know those long sausage-shaped cushion type things? You can pick them up for a few pounds but they will help you reduce your bills by keeping the heat in your main rooms!
Look at cat flaps, letterboxes etc – can these be better insulated or used with draught excluders to help them to not let too much cold in?
Tackle any damp in the home – whilst heating the home more effectively to reduce damp and opening windows more sounds like it would cost more it actually doesn’t really because a damp house is a cold house. Air the room well and heat it well and you will eliminate dampness as well as be in a healthier home limiting illnesses etc caused by the damp. If you are looking to sell your home at some point this is important too!
